Maintain the quality of life for tiny aquatic creatures, Clermont County officials say, and you ensure that local water is good to drink.

        Clermont, like the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, monitors its water quality by sampling fish and insects that live there. But while the state agency can afford to assess only every five years, the county takes a more aggressive approach. For nearly five years, Clermont water officials have teamed with Miami University scientists for annual biological assessments of the drinking water supply.

        The county isn't looking for lethal levels of pollutants, just those that hurt fish and insects over time. If those pollutants, or “stressors,” affect the animal life, they pose a threat to water quality.

Dr. David Russell of Miami University is part of team that is helping Clermont County plan for responsible and controlled growth through water and land quality testing. A bug hotel is placed in the water at Indian Creek Preserve. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        David Russell of Oxford is one of the Miami scientists who monitor insects in the East Fork of the Little Miami River, Clermont County's major water source. He places special traps in the river, then checks them periodically to see what's there. Other team members look at populations of minnows and other fish. Based on the combined findings, the county's Office of Environmental Quality can gauge water quality.

        “We look at both the diversity and quality of species and pinpoint potential problem areas,” said Sheldon Guttman, zoology professor at Miami, who heads the project. Over the past four years, the scientists have seen a drop in species and number of organisms in some locales, but the county's water quality is generally good.

        “The bottom line is, Clermont County is growing very quickly,” said Mr. Russell, adding that good water quality is essential to growth. The county “is in no way interested in stopping development, but there's got to be a way to grow smart. It's much more efficient to solve problems ahead of time, and to build wisely.”

        It's cheaper to maintain water quality than to wait until it's polluted and then clean it up, said Paul Braasch, director of the Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality.

        “We don't have the money to build lots of wastewater-treatment plants,” he said. “That's why we're taking alternative ap proaches and addressing some issues before they become problems. These approaches help us understand the relationship between man and the environment. They will also help us handle the growth we know is going to happen while maintaining a high quality of life people associate with rural areas.”

        The monitoring, which costs about $137,000 per year, is done as part of the county's watershed protection program. The money comes from water and sewer fees.

        “Ohio EPA and Clermont County are way ahead of the curve in that most states don't do these assessments,” said Mr. Russell. “They do water chemistry, so many parts per million, which is only a snapshot in time. When you look at the numbers and quality of fish and insects, you get the history — what's happening in the water over time.”

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